Unbridled Hope

Title: UNBRIDLED HOPE

Author: Loree Lough

Publisher: Whitaker House

May 2011

ISBN:    978-1603742276

Genre: Historical romance

Life is a dream come true for Callie Roberts––until her worst nightmare ruins the fairy tale. A steamboat boiler explosion kills her parents, her older brother, and her beloved fiancé. It also deafens her younger brother and leaves Callie with a scar from cheek to chin, a haunting reminder of the tragedy for which she was partly responsible. To put the past behind her, she settles in Eagle Pass, Texas, and launches a business that takes off.

The same is hardly true for the Neville family, whose nearby Lazy N Ranch is struggling. Micah volunteers to go to Lubbock for fresh seed, but his offer is not without an ulterior motive. A letter he mistakenly intercepted leads him to believe that his cousin Dan is in trouble. And Micah intends to set things right.

It's a shock to everyone when Micah returns with not only the seed but also a baby boy in tow. But he'll do anything to protect Dan's honor, even if it means pretending to be the father. He can handle the gossip and glances just fine, until he meets Callie and learns the meaning of love at first sight. Will the misguided decisions these two have made keep them apart, or can they face the truth about each other–and themselves–and discover a love they never could have imagined? 

UNBRIDLED HOPE, book three in the Lone Star Legends series easily stands alone. I enjoyed getting to know Callie, Jonah, Micah, and his family and the other secondary characters. I didn’t appreciate Micah lying about the baby and the situations surrounding it, especially as he says he vows to always tell the truth. To me, he had no reason to lie. I know the back cover says to protect Dan’s honor, but he could’ve told the truth anyway, especially as there was no proof and the way the woman acted she may not have even been the real mother.

If you like historical romances set in Texas, or any book by Loree Lough, you will want to read UNBRIDLED HOPE.  It is a typical formula historical at the beginning—the mandatory death(s) occurs—shoving the poor, unsuspecting heroine out into the big bad world alone. But Callie is up to the challenge and even thrives.

This book came out several years ago but it is still available and will be a great historical romance to read while you are snowed in this winter.

Available in ebook and paperback. 305 pages.